Another Struggle Unseen

I can't keep up anymore,
my body is deteriorating
and my age climbing.
Each step is rough
no matter what hour
I feel spent, exhausted
to the very bone.
What do they expect of me?
With their forceful work
pressing against my chest
and squeezing my lungs
'til they wheeze;
like a child
taken away his right
to breathe in and out.
I need time
I need space
I need comfort
but mostly
I need the chance
to be loved,
before I suffocate
from my own heartbeat.

- Based on the photo "Delhi Street Dog One Of Many" by Suzi McGregor